How to cook kvass from wort at home?
For a person living in the West, at the word Russia, bored stereotypes such as a bear, balalaika or vodka most often come to mind. But we have many more things that more fully reflect our traditions and customs. And this is not vodka at all, but such an old and healthy drink as kvass.
Kvass is our traditional drink with excellent refreshing properties. And despite the popularity of modern sodas, kvass still retains its demand among our compatriots. Many people are happy to buy and consume kvass, especially in the summer heat. Without this drink, it is difficult to imagine such a popular okroshka in our country.
Some make okroshka from citric acid, but kvass okroshka is much tastier.
Foundation features
Cooking kvass is quite easy. The main basis of kvass and its most important component is the wort. It is also made from sourdough, and there are many other options. But the most popular way is cooking with kvass wort.
Wort is a very thick and viscous liquid made from malt. Rye flour is also added there. The wort can be made by yourself using a special technology. All you need is bread and water.
But you can save time and just buy it, which will greatly simplify the entire manufacturing technology.
Compound
To make kvass, you will also need some other ingredients. This is primarily rye bread, as well as yeast, water and sugar.These are the main components of the future drink. But honey is also used instead of sugar. Some recipes may call for spices or wheat, and even horseradish or raisins.
Cooking
The very first is water. Of course, it must be boiled, and it must be boiled only once. After reaching the boiling point, do not immediately turn off the gas, but wait a little. It is also quite advisable to prepare kvass from drinking water, which is sold in stores.
Next up is yeast. Both dry and pressed yeast will do. But for pressed yeast, proper storage is very important. Therefore, before using, you need to make sure that they are alive.
Still need rye bread. It needs to be dried, it is even better to dry it a little, then kvass should be tastier. And you can also add some herbs, such as mint or currant leaf, which will add extra flavor to the drink.
There are cooking methods that involve spices, the main thing is not to overdo it if you use them.
Pros and cons
Different dishes and drinks have both positive and negative qualities, that is, both pros and cons. And kvass is no exception.
Main advantages:
- such kvass is easy to make;
- low cost of production;
- there are many varieties of kvass;
- get results quickly.
Let's not forget about the cons.
- The composition of the wort sold in the store may contain artificial additives and preservatives that will not add health.
- In the manufacture of kvass, lactic acid is obtained, as well as carbon dioxide. And if there are a lot of them, then this can also bring certain harm to health.
The benefits of the drink
Kvass remarkably quenches thirst, and it has a pleasant and rich taste. Kvass has many useful properties that help with various diseases.
There are no harmful bacteria in kvass, and this is its great benefit. When using kvass, digestion is normalized, the cardiovascular system functions much better, in the presence of dysbacteriosis, the use of kvass improves the condition.
There are vitamins in kvass, and they have a very positive effect on immunity. The acids present in kvass destroy dead and diseased cells. Thanks to kvass made at home, you can lose weight, be more alert and less tired, that is, you can feel much better. Tooth enamel, its condition is improving. Kvass is very useful for those who suffer from hypertension, as well as pancreatic diseases and diabetes.
Due to the fact that vitamin C is present in kvass, cholesterol is better excreted from the body and blood vessels are cleansed. For those who suffer from heartburn and heaviness in the stomach, kvass is very useful. With frequent use of kvass, vision improves. Homemade kvass is also effective against various viruses and bacteria. Kvass is recommended even for patients with pneumonia.
Possible harm
However, there are diseases in which there is no benefit from kvass, but there is only harm. Therefore, before use, it is better to familiarize yourself with the contraindications.
For those who are sick with an ulcer, it is better to refrain from drinking this drink, this can provoke an exacerbation. You can not drink kvass with cancer, with an unhealthy liver. If the kidneys are acting up, then it is better to drink kvass little by little.
When kvass is in the refrigerator, the fermentation process continues. This changes the taste of the drink. The longer kvass sits, the more its taste will change.
It is better for children to consume such kvass little by little.
Recipes
Classic kvass:
- kvass wort - 2 tablespoons with a slide;
- 3 pieces of bread;
- dry yeast - 2 teaspoons;
- sugar - an incomplete glass, for those who like sweeter kvass, then a whole glass can be.
First you need to cook crackers, for this you need 3 pieces of bread, it’s not bad if they are crusts. It is even advisable to let them burn a little, then wait until they cool down to room temperature. Prepare boiled water. Pour two and a half liters of water into a three-liter jar. If the water is not from the store, then it is more correct to pour even hot water, or at least warm water, because the sugar will dissolve faster. Pour in sugar, the glass with sugar should be incomplete.
Wait until the water is just warm, pour two full tablespoons of wort concentrate. After that mix. It is desirable that after mixing at the bottom of the jar nothing remains. Then add the already cooked croutons.
After that, pour in the yeast. Yeast will need dry 2 teaspoons. It is very important that the yeast should be added to slightly warm or cold water. If the water is too hot, the yeast will simply die and nothing will work. Then again stir the liquid and cover it with gauze. Gauze must be folded in layers. It is best to have several layers, about five or six. After that, wrap everything with an elastic band.
Put the jar with the still unprepared kvass in a warm place. It is best if there is no direct sunlight in this place. Withstand 24 or 48 hours. Next, you need to move the jar to a cooler place for another 48 hours.
After two days, strain the resulting drink. Pour into containers. Throw three raisins into each container and set to cool.
Old Russian kvass:
- wheat - 3 cups;
- kvass wort - half a glass;
- honey - one and a half glasses;
- about 4 liters of water.
Wheat will need 3 cups. The first step is to rinse it in water.Leave it there for 10 hours, and then rinse again. Put the wheat to germinate in a place with a relatively high temperature. Before that, you need to pour water on it. In this case, a lot of water is not required. Wait a day or two, making sure that small sprouts appear, about two to three millimeters. And you will also have to wash the grains again in water so that they do not sour. Pass the sprouted wheat through a meat grinder. Take a five-liter container with warm water poured up to half.
Put one and a half glasses of honey, wheat and do not forget to add the wort there. It will need half a glass. It all needs to be well mixed. After mixing, pour water so that the container is completely filled.
Close with gauze. Let stand 48 hours at warm room temperature. After this time, foam appears and there will be a lot of it, this will mean that the product is ready. It remains only to cool and then drink with pleasure.
Vigorous kvass:
- half a loaf of rye bread;
- half a glass of kvass wort concentrate;
- package of dry yeast;
- a glass of sugar, you can use honey;
- water 4 liters;
- half a handful of raisins;
- about 100 g of horseradish from the root.
Prepare crackers from half a loaf of rye bread. Pour 4 liters of hot water into it and wait 5 hours. Then strain what happened, add half a glass of wort, a package of yeast and a glass of sugar, although honey can also be used.
Leave this blank to ferment for about 6-8 hours. Then add raisins and horseradish, then cool.
Aromatic kvass:
- half a glass of wort;
- 1 package of yeast;
- 4 liters of water;
- sugar - 2/3 cup;
- 20 sheets of blackcurrant;
- hops, cardamom and ginger a little.
This recipe uses various spices such as ginger, cardamom and hops. Make a bag of gauze and put spices in it.Place this bag in a saucepan filled with 4 liters of water and throw blackcurrant leaves on top. They will need about 20 sheets. Turn on the fire and after reaching a boil, take out a bag of spices, and let the currant leaves remain in the pan.
Pour sugar into it, stir and wait for the water to cool. Then add half a glass of wort and 1 package of yeast there and mix. Put in a warm place. Let the liquid stand for at least a day. In the future, strain, pour into containers. And after that they should stand for about 12 hours. Then send the containers to cool.
But the drink is not ready yet. He will have to ripen for another 48 hours cooling down. And only after that the drink can be consumed.
Okroshochny kvass:
- half a glass of sugar;
- kvass wort - 3 tablespoons;
- 3 liters of water;
- yeast, best pressed - 6 grams;
- 10 highlights.
Take a jar and pour 3 liters of hot water into it, you need to use unboiled water, it should be heated by about 70 degrees. Put 3 tablespoons of wort and half a glass of sugar in a jar. Once it's cooled down a bit, add the yeast and stir. Then throw raisins into the liquid and let stand warm. After about a day, you can observe the presence of foam, then you can make the first test. If you like the taste, all that remains is to strain, pour and cool.
Delicious kvass:
- three tablespoons of concentrate;
- five pieces of bread;
- two thirds of a glass of honey;
- one bag of yeast;
- three liters of water;
- half a handful of raisins.
When cooking according to this recipe, it is best to use Borodinsky bread. And honey instead of sugar.
It will take five pieces of bread, from which crackers must be made. Put breadcrumbs in an empty container, pour hot water into it. Mix in 2/3 cup honey.Wait until it cools down to a slightly warm state. Add 3 tablespoons of concentrate and stir. Add 1 packet of yeast.
Put it all in a warm place for a day or two. After filtering and pouring into prepared containers, throw a few raisins there. Keep it all for 10 hours at room temperature. After that, put this workpiece to cool in the refrigerator for at least two days.
How to make wort at home?
Those who want to control the entire process of making kvass can make the wort on their own.
You will need bread and water. Two loaves and 10 liters of water.
First you need to break the bread into small pieces. Take a pre-prepared container, put bread in it and pour very hot water. But it is very important that it does not boil, that is, the water should not be boiled. Wait fifteen minutes, then add three quarters of a liter of water, here you already need to use boiled water. Keep the prepared product for a couple of hours in a warm place.
What happened, place in a bowl of clay and add a little more water. After that, you need to put it all in the oven, which is preheated to about 180 degrees and kept there for three hours. After all these procedures, the dough will turn out, it must be broken into pieces and poured with water, which has not yet reached a boil. Water must be used about 9 liters. Drain the resulting product. Your wort will be ready.
Kvass is perfect for making okroshka. Using these recipes, anyone can make this drink on their own. And this does not require complex or expensive ingredients, everything you need can be found in any kitchen.
It is also important to choose the most suitable and favorite recipe, then cooking and drinking kvass at home will be a great pleasure.
How to cook kvass from wort at home, see the following video.